Sendra Corporation v. John W. Magaw, Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Department of the Treasury

Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge RANDOLPH.

RANDOLPH, Circuit Judge:

This is an appeal from the district court’s judgment rejecting Sendra Corporation’s challenge to a decision of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Procedural principles of administrative law lead us to affirm the judgment for reasons different than those given by the district court.

I

Sendra Corporation, an Illinois company, manufactures firearms. At one time, it made machineguns. The National Firearms Act regulates the manufacture of machineguns. The statute defines “machinegun” to mean “any weapon which…